Third Energy in new gas leak revelations

John Dewar, Operations Director of Third Energy

At Friday’s Planning Committee meeting on Third Energy’s fracking application at KM8, Nicky Mason, mother of two and resident of Great Habton – only a mile from the proposed fracking well-site – revealed that there was an unreported gas leak at Third Energy’s Malton 4 well-site, and subsequent release of 75, 000 cubic metres of gas at the Knapton Generating Station. This triggered a complaint from a local resident near the Generating Station and the subsequent paper trail – obtained under FOI requests – reveals multiple infractions by Third Energy.

The leak appears to have been picked up by a routine safety check, and was deemed urgent enough to release the gas from the pipeline into the environment around Knapton Generating Station, which triggered the complaint.

This leak should have been reported to the Environment Agency within 24 hours of its occurrence, but was not actually reported until nearly three months later – clearly breaking the planning conditions of the company’s Environment Agency permit.

Community leaders are calling on the NYCC to take Third Energy’s multiple failures of safety procedures and breaches of planning conditions into account when deciding the Planning Application for KM8, and refuse the application.

You can read a detailed report on these revelations, including quotes, on Drill or Drop.

This new revelation follows a litany of leaks, safety failures and criticisms by the regulatory bodies of Third Energy’s gas operations in Ryedale. In the past few years the safety record of Third Energy (previously called Viking Gas UK Ltd) in Ryedale is one that has included a documented sour gas leak, problems with flooding, staff accidents and clashes with the HSE regarding well-casing design, procedures and poor maintenance regimes.